Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon. I cannot express that sentiment enough. Pokemon is not mine; not mine; not mine! :D Also, the lyrics to Set Fire to the Rain are accredited to Adel and whoever happens to write her songs for her.

[I set fire to the rain,

Watched it pour as I touched your face,

Let it burn while I cried,

Cause I heard it screaming out your name, your name~]

“Why am I always losing…?”

This sudden question caused a thick smog of silence to roll across the dinner table. No one had expected it, and so you and Cress were shocked still at the pitiable inquiry. Your teeth had just sunk into the rounded end of a hamburger, so you were left currently incapable of addressing the despondent boy. Instead, his blue-haired brother decided to try his hand at assuaging the anxiety of his brother.

“Chili, honestly your strategy is all wrong. You focus too much on offensive with little consideration for defense.”

Although you knew that Cress’ calloused explanation was his attempt at comfort, Chili was not so convinced. His crimson orbs burned with an offended fire as his entire body went rigid.

“How could you say that? I’m all about the offense; it’s who I am! If you think there’s something wrong with the way I operate…you must think there’s something wrong with me!”

Accompanied with the bitter ferocity of the accusation, Chili leapt to his feet and threw down his apron. Towering over the two of you, he looked like fire personified with his angry aura blazing almost as brightly as his hair.

“Chili…” you murmured after quickly swallowing your food. Your hands reached out tentatively to him. You longed to hold him and smother those sad flames that often made your heart wrench. “You know that Cress doesn’t mean it that way. He’s your brother and he loves you; we all love you.”

Generally, your calming words had always been enough to put out the raging inferno that was your boyfriend. This time, however, it seemed that Chili was determined to resist your consoling nature.

“Of course you would be the first to come to his rescue, [Name]!” Chili spat with his hands balled into fuming fists. “Heh, I’m sure that you think just as lowly of me as he does. You certainly seem to prefer his company as of lately, anyway.”

Such an incriminating insinuation was like a slap to the face for you. It was true that you had been spending a lot of time with Cress lately, but that was only because he was helping you out with your Pokémon. The both of you were Water type specialists, after all.

“Chili!” Cress exclaimed. It appeared as if he was immediately prepared to chide his brother for being so insensitive. He knew the consequence of his brother uttering such an incorrect accusation; he could see it just by looking at the salty water welling within your [e/c] eyes. “Leave [Name] out of this!”

“I won’t!" Chili protested. "I’m burnt out on all of this, Cress; I can’t take it anymore! There’s nothing for me here but failure and heartache, so I’m leaving!” he roared as he stomped around the circular café table until he was in the middle of you and his brother. “Now you two can be together like you’ve always wanted…” he offered resentfully as he took a step back after he had aggressively pushed you and Cress together.

“Don’t do this. I have no interest in your girlfriend…” Cress protested weakly as he shifted away from your crestfallen form. Chili remained virtually unaffected by his testimony, however.

As the flame-haired male rushed towards the exit, you followed suit. You weren’t about to let the possessor of your heart run off with it just because of a few ridiculous misunderstandings.

“Chili,” you paused in order to swallow the bitter lump in your throat. “I would never betray your trust. I love you!” you cried in a desperate attempt at reasoning with the incensed boy.

“[Name], I’m sorry…” he sighed, something in his eyes softening as he took in your distraught facial features. In particular he could not help but to notice the glisten of moisture in those pretty [e/c] orbs he had once loved. “But this is something I need to do to study and improve.”

His rational for leaving made sense, but it did not succeed in soothing you in the slightest. Certainly Chili needed to improve as a Gym Leader, but every trainer had room for such improvement – including you. So, why couldn’t you do this together?

Chili spared you one last, poignant glance before turning tail and leaving you and his brother behind.

“Don’t worry about it, [Name]. That hot head just needs time to cool off. I’ll call Cilan and tell him to be on the lookout,” Cress said to you. He gave your shoulder a slight, reassuring pat before briskly walking off in the direction of the phone.

You gained no comfort from this observation, though; instead all you could focus on was Chili’s discarded apron on the table – the only thing he had left behind for you. Cress could have been quite right, and maybe Chili would return within the next couple of days…but there was something off about the way he had looked at you. As if the flames of passion within his heart had died. You could not prevent the flow of emotion any longer, so tears cascaded down your cheeks…and they burned like setting fire to the rain.

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